Handmade, Bespoke Derbys

Federico Badia’s handmade, bespoke Derbys combine the rustic, masculine charm of the derby with a sleek, Italian elegance. This provides customers with a strong and versatile shoe that distinguishes its wearer through impeccable fit and detail.  

The Derby is a shoe with an open lacing system because the quarters attach over the vamp. Initially used as a hunting boot, Derbys quickly grew popular in continental Europe. Later, the style became popular for both casual and dress shoes. Derbys maintain some of their rustic sense of origin, especially when paired with broguing (the use of holes for decoration). The Derby’s open lacing system provides comfort for those shoe-lovers who enjoy using thick socks in winter and thin socks in summer, because the distance between the two quarters is easy to adjust.

An interesting fact:

Derby shoes were first known as “Bluchers” after the Prussian field marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher, the Duke of Wahlstadt (1742-1819), who joined forces with the Duke of Wellington to defeat Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and ordered laced shoes of this type to be made for his soldiers.

In consultation with the client, Federico makes handmade, bespoke Derbys in a variety of styles, which include:


To guarantee complete comfort and satisfaction, Federico makes all his shoes by measurement. This requires a visit to his shop in Orvieto to have measurements taken. Federico builds a custom shoe last specifically for each client. He keeps all the lasts at his shop for future use by the client. The trial pair and the final shoes can both ship worldwide. This makes the process of reordering simple. Contact Federico at info@federicobadiashoes.com to book an appointment or learn more.

To learn more about Federico’s process, visit the Shoemaking page.